HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Steinert stretches win streak to four with win over Nottingham

HAMILTON — Maybe it’s just coincidence that since Brian Giallella juggled his lineup last week by switching batting and fielding positions his Steinert High baseball team has won four in a row as it heads into its Wednesday rematch at Notre Dame.

“I think we’re starting to come around. Our guys are starting to see their roles,” Giallella said as the 7-4 Spartans wrapped up a 13-3 win over Klockner Road rival Nottingham at Rick Giallella Field.

“They know where they are going to play and where they’ll be hitting. I know we have guys that can play and know what they can do. I like it,” Giallella said about the continued changes that this time had Nick Labelle batting DH where he contributed two hits to help lead a 14-hit attack that also saw Eddie Ashley continue his torrid hitting with a 4-for-5 day and just missing a fifth hit.

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Ashley, who came in batting .464, has had three straight games with three or more hits.

Catcher Billy Collins, who returned to the lineup with two hits at Princeton after missing six games with a hamstring injury, has contribted to the win streak.

“I love being back behind the plate. It’s my role,” said Collins. “Changing the lineup is working, so whatever works stay with it.

“I was seeig the ball well today. Our whole team was. I’m back to being 100%,” said Collins. “I can’t wait to be back out there again.”

Steinert came out of the first inning tied (1-1) after consecutive 2-out singles by Ashley, P.J. Wiegartner and John Mastrangelo matched the run Nottingham (3-7) got off Matt Moticha in the top of the inning when Eric Struble and Stef Nyktas singled and Luke Westerberg followed with a sacrifice fly.

Moticha again struggled early but got hot after the first, giving up only three walks to the next 12 batters he faced. He allowed just two hits in his 5-inning sting before Brian Watkinson relieved.

“I don’t know what it is he (Moticha) has had starts like that,” said Giallella. “Maybe it’s something about warming up. We’ll have to look it over.”

Once again Moticha got strong when he needed it to raise his record to 3-1.

Two straight walks and a Shane Plunkett sacrifice in the second led to Jeff Mattonelli breaking the tie with a single. Steinert sent eight to the plate in the third, scoring four unearned runs courtesy of two Nottingham throwing errors that drove runners home. Mattonelli’s sac fly and LaBelle’s single plate two more, before Mastrangelo drove in one with a sac. flyout in the fourth and Ashley drove in another with his fourth hit in the fifth, extending a hot streak he hopes to keep going at Notre Dame tomorrow.